About 3 years after I was diagnosed with PTSD, I was diagnosed with stress induced Type II diabetes. I was shocked, but instead of giving into it I decided I was going to do everything in my power to change it.

The first thing I looked into was the food I had been eating, and it wasn’t good. As some of you know, working full-time and being a single parent is quite difficult and it’s much easier to pick “something” up or throw “something” in the oven, than make something from scratch. Needless to say, I had fallen into the trap of eating mostly processed foods and when it wasn’t from the grocery store, it was take-out from places like McDonald’s, or Pizza Hut.

But I digress...

I went through my cupboards and got rid of anything that had a label I couldn’t read, or I knew contained preservatives. Artificial sweeteners, MSG (monosodium glutamate), BHA/BHT, hydrogenated vegetable oil, nitrates/nitrites, sodium benzoate, etc., it all went into the garbage. When I was finished there was nothing left except a few tomato products (from Italy), basmati rice, olive oil and some organic crackers! ...How could I have become such an unhealthy eater?!

The next step was to start an exercise plan, as well as figure out how to deal with the things that were causing me so much stress. Trouble was (and still is), I’m not very good at getting out of the house. A friend suggested I try to find something on the internet, so I did. It’s a site called HASfit (hasfit.com) and they offer over 1,000 fitness videos, meal plans and the best motivation you will ever get. The greatest thing about it - it’s FREE; all of it!

I started off with the beginner videos, and worked out 5 to 6 times a week; instead of the 7 I’d been doing for years (and I mean years). I slowly worked up to the HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) videos and after I’d been doing them for a few months, I challenged myself to do Coach Kozak’s “Warrior 90 Day program.” Which I found to be an incredible collection of HIIT, upper body, lower body and abdominal workouts!

The rest is history! It’s been 7 years since I started taking better care of myself, and not only have I eliminated processed foods; 80-85% of the food I eat is organic and I stick mostly to whole foods. I’ve lost over 30 pounds of fat, gained 20 pounds of muscle, and I’m stronger than I’ve ever been in my life. The best thing about changing my lifestyle is that I no longer have a medical diagnosis of Type II Diabetes.

; I'm Still Here!

; I'm Still Here, is a guide to living with and surviving PTSD - post traumatic stress disorder. It is a true story written by a survivor describing the symptoms, triggers and treatments that are currently available.

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